Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Charlie

This Spring my daughter and I took a road trip down to Southern California. We had to be in the L.A. area for a family function, so we made our way down to the City of Angels and stayed at an incredible little hideaway that not many people know of.

The Hotel is called The Charlie. Named for Charlie Chaplin, the hotel is located in the heart of West Hollywood (yes, you will see some strange things as you drive through the area!). The story that is given is that the buildings upon which the hotel resides were first built and established in 1924 by the Ruth Gordon family. Ruth Gordon (1896 - 1985) was an American actress and writer. She starred in many very popular movies, including Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude and Clint Eastwood's Every Which Way But Loose (all in her later years).

Ruth Gordon

Source: United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

The buildings on the property are rumoured to have been home at one time or another to Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, and Gloria Swanson, hence the name, The Charlie.

The Charlie Hotel

Source: TripAdvisor

The hotel is much more than a hotel. It is 13 different mini-homes or bungalows really. Each home is aptly named after a famous movie star, including Betty, Charlie, Clark, Dylan, Gloria, Gregory, Marilyn, Marlene, Masha (the owner's daughter), Ruth, Sasha, Steve and Valentino.

In 2002, the area was threatened by re-development and Menachem Treivush purchased the property and took on a multi-million dollar renovation. He reopened it to the public in 2008. The owner's daughter, Masha, runs the hotel and made us feel very welcome.

Marlene Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

We were lucky enough to stay in their two-story bungalow called the Valentino. Because The Charlie is home at times to movie stars (Robert Pattinson, Kristin Stewart, Charlie Sheen and others are rumored to have stayed there), we were told when we made the reservation that there was a possibility that we may not get the bungalow that we requested or that was originally planned. This left me feeling a little, well, less important, than a movie star (at least in their eyes). But, I guess that is how they do things in Hollywood. To their credit, we did get an upgrade to the Valentino, as I had a smaller bungalow booked.

There are also residents who stay at The Charlie for months at a time, so availability is accordingly limited at times.

The parking area in the court area in the middle of all the bungalows. Parking is a bit tight, so you have to be careful when exiting the property.

The Valentino Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

This is the bungalow that we stayed in, the Valentino. It was very beautifully decorated. All of the bungalows have a refined feeling and Spanish-California touches.

Source: The Charlie Hotel

Another view of the Valentino living room with the beautiful iron stair rail/wall.

This was my window seat in the master bedroom. Typical foggy California morning. It was very peaceful sitting there with a cup of coffee, bundled under the most cozy blanket I think I've ever touched and watching all the neighbors walk their dogs and take their morning runs.

Kitchen in the Valentino bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

The kitchen was great. A full refrigerator allowed us to bring our leftovers home from dinner and put fresh fruit and cream in there as well for breakfast.

Master Bathroom in the Valentino Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

The bathroom was very large and just my style, with it's marble countertops, black and white tiles and simplicity. The shower was very large and the bath products they had were nice.

The Charlie Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

The Gloria Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

The Ruth Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

The Ruth Bungalow

Source: The Charlie Hotel

All of their bungalows have a definitive style and bungalow feel. When you step into the courtyard of The Charlie, you feel transported back into the 40's, when Hollywood was still regal.

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